NCGA Invests in Chromatin Program to Develop Mini-Chromosome Technology
(10-29-04)
The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) and several other investors recently
contributed a total of $7.3 million in financing for Chromatin,
Inc., a Chicago-based
biotechnology firm, to support the advancement of mini-chromosome technology
for improved commercial crops.
Chromatin’s proprietary mini-chromosome
technology could decrease time to market for new biotech traits by 50 percent
and increase crop yields by
25 percent, the firm said.
Ron Obermoller, a Minnesota corn
grower and member of NCGA’s Research
and Business Development Action Team (RBDAT), said growers and consumers alike
would benefit from more rapid introduction of useful traits.
“This is a project that’s easy to get excited about,” he
said. “This technology could lead to new genes being introduced into
corn faster and less expensively than ever before.”
The current timeline for introducing a new trait, from discovery to commercial
availability, is seven to 10 years, according to industry experts. RBDAT Vice
Chair Wendell Shauman said this technology could cut that time in half, while
making it possible to introduce multiple traits at once.
“This could really shorten the trait delivery time,” he said. “The
Chromatin technology may make it possible to introduce multiple traits all
in one shot, which helps get the product in the hands of growers more quickly.
People in this business know time is money, and the quicker you can get a new
trait to market, the happier everyone is.”
The Chromatin technology could be applied to produce crops that possess greater
resistance to disease, improved salt and drought tolerance and more nutritional
value. The company is developing the technology for application in corn, canola,
cotton and other commercially important plants.
Shauman said continued advancement of biotech crops is becoming increasingly
important as growers are faced with the challenge of producing more food on
less land.
“To feed a hungry world, farmers need to use every technology available
to us,” he said. “Biotechnology has already provided us with some
effective tools, and it appears as if even more effective and valuable products
are on the way.”
Because a successful method for simultaneous and controlled introduction of
a large number of genes does not currently exist, the pace of crop improvement
through biotechnology has been slowed, according to Chromatin.
Other new investors in the latest
round of financing included Illinois Ventures and Unilever Technology Ventures.
Returning investors included Burrill & Company,
Venture Investors and Foragen.
“Clearly the confidence is there among our investors who see the great
commercial potential for our mini-chromosome technology and our ability to
execute,” Mich Hein, Chromatin president and CEO. He said the funding
will be used to “ramp up staff and facilities and accelerate growth in
core programs.”